Modular roadway

ABSTRACT

A roadway is formed by a plurality of mats flexibly connected together at their ends. The mats are rectangular in configuration to form straight sections of the roadway and trapezoidal in configuration to form curved sections. Each mat comprises a flat platform of transverse wooden boards secured to side rails at their ends. The mats may be tied together at their ends by overlapping flat steel plates secured together by bolts to form connections. The connections may have sufficient flexibility to allow the mats to conform to uneven terrain. The rails may function as curbs to limit a vehicle, passing along the roadway, from slipping off sideways. The mats may be relatively light, allowing manual installation.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application relates to mats which can be assembled end-to-end to form a roadway over uneven ground for use by light vehicles, such as quads, all terrain vehicles and golf carts, and individuals.

BACKGROUND

It has long been known to provide corduroy roadways for use in constructing temporary roadway sections over marshy uneven ground, to thereby provide access for light vehicles, such as quads, to sites such as an oil drilling site, by laying logs in side-by-side array over the marshy ground. However this is time-consuming and expensive to do and requires the availability of properly sized lumber.

There has therefore long existed a need for an alternative. The present invention addresses this need.

SUMMARY

Applicant set out to provide such an alternative with certain criteria in mind, namely:

-   -   a modular system of mats was needed whereby the mats could be         linked together end-to-end to form a roadway;     -   the links, while sturdy, needed to be flexible enough to allow         limited pivoting between adjacent mat ends and thereby enable         the roadway to maintain contact with uneven ground;     -   the mats needed to be adapted to provide a roadway which could         follow a curved path and/or a straight path;     -   the mats should be light enough to be manually carried by two         men;     -   the mats needed to be capable of supporting a quad for travel         thereover;     -   the mats needed to be adapted to prevent or at least limit a         vehicle such as a quad from slipping off sideways; and     -   it was preferable that the mats be formed of biodegradable         material.

As the component for constructing straight sections of the roadway, a rectangular mat is provided including:

-   -   a flat platform of transverse rectangular boards aligned in side         by side formation;     -   rails secured to the platform to form a coherent unit therewith         and extending upwardly therefrom along the side edges thereof,         for providing curbs to resist sideways sliding of a quad passing         over the platform;     -   optionally, downwardly projecting, spaced apart straps extending         longitudinally of the underside of the platform and secured to         the platform, for reinforcing and supporting the platform and         cooperating with the rails and boards to form a coherent         structure; and     -   means, for example flat steel plates bolted on the ends of the         rails, for flexibly linking one mat end to another in end to end         alignment;     -   the mat preferably being light enough to be manually conveyed by         two men.

For constructing curved sections of the roadway, a mat is provided having a trapezoidal platform, formed of trapezoidally shaped boards and having side edges of unequal length.

When a roadway is formed in one embodiment, it includes at least one linear section of rectangular mats flexibly linked together in end-to-end alignment, each such mat including a flat platform formed of rectangular boards, arranged side by side and secured to rails extending upwardly therefrom along the side edge portions of the platform, for providing curbs; and at least one curved section of trapezoidal mats flexibly linked together in end to end formation and to the linear section, each trapezoidal mat having a flat platform formed of trapezoidally shaped boards and side rails, the platform having side edges of unequal length.

Preferably, the mats are formed of wood and are light enough to be individually carried by two men.

Preferably the means for linking mats are apertured flat steel plates bolted to and projecting beyond the ends of the rails, the plate of one mat rail being bolted to a plate of an adjacent mat rail.

Broadly stated, a roadway is provided including a formation of mats flexibly linked together in end to end alignment, some of the mats being rectangular in configuration and linked together to form a straight section of the roadway, some of the mats being trapezoidal in configuration and linked together to form a curved section of the roadway.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a straight section of a temporary roadway formed of mats linked together in end-to-end alignment for extending over uneven ground;

FIG. 2 is a closer-up view of part of the roadway of FIG. 1 showing detail of the linking means;

FIG. 2A is a side view of a disengagable flexible connection securing together the ends of two mats;

FIG. 3 is a perspective end view of a rectangular mat;

FIG. 3A is an end view of a trapezoidal mat for use in a curved section of roadway;

FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of the trapezoidal mat of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a roadway comprising straight and curved sections.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In general, and with initial reference to FIG. 5, a roadway 1 in accordance with the invention comprises straight and curved sections 2, 3 of rectangular and trapezoidal mats 4, 5, flexibly linked together in end-to-end alignment.

In one embodiment, and with additional reference to FIGS. 1-3, each rectangular mat 4 may include a rectangular wooden platform 6. For instance, the platform may be 8′ in length and formed of 5/4″×6″×6′ lodgepole pine boards 7 laid in transverse, parallel, spaced apart, side-by-side formation. The boards 7 may be secured by steel bolts 8 (see FIGS. 3 and 3A, not shown in other figures) to a pair of spaced apart, underlying 2″×4″ longitudinally extending straps 9, for reinforcement. A pair of 2″×4″×8′ boards 10 may be stacked along each side edge of the platform 6 to form a side rail 11. Each side rail 11 may be secured to the platform 6 by bolts 12 (see FIGS. 3 and 3A, not shown not in other figures). Each side rail 11 may extend the length of the platform 6 and may provide a curb for resisting sideways slippage off the roadway 1 by a vehicle, such as a quad, passing along the roadway 1.

Flat steel plates 15, forming bolt holes 16, may be secured by bolts 17 to the side rails 11. Each plate 15 may project beyond an end of the side rail 11 to which it is secured. The projecting portion 18 of each plate 15 may form a bolt hole 19. As shown in FIG. 2A, the projecting portions 18 of adjacent plates 15 may overlap when the plates 15 are brought together. A nut and bolt assembly 20, which may include a nut 20 a, a bolt 13 and a plastic washer 21, ties the adjacent plates 15 together to form a connection 22. The connections 22 function to flexibly link adjacent mats 4, 5 together in end-to-end alignment.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 3A, trapezoidal mats 5 may be provided to form the curved sections 3 of the roadway 1. Each trapezoidal mat 5 may conform in construction with the rectangular mat 4 except that: the platform 6 may be formed of trapezoidically shaped boards 23; the trapezoidal mats 5 may be shorter in length than the rectangular mats 4 and may incorporate fewer platform boards than the rectangular mats 4; and the sides 24, 25 of each trapezoidal mat 6 may be unequal in length.

The mats 4, 5 described are light enough to be carried by two men—for instance, the wooden rectangular mats 4 may weigh about 180 pounds.

It is contemplated that variants can be substituted for components of the mats just described. For example: cables can lash the ends of the mats together to provide the flexible links; and the boards, rails and straps can be formed of strong rigid plastic. Such variants are within the scope of the claims now following. 

1. A roadway comprising a formation of mats flexibly linked together in end to end alignment, some of the mats being rectangular in configuration and linked together to form a straight section of the roadway, and some of the mats being trapezoidal in configuration and linked together to form a curved section of the roadway.
 2. The roadway as set forth in claim 1 wherein: each rectangular mat comprises a rectangular platform formed of transverse, rectangular boards aligned in side by side formation; and each trapezoidal mat comprises a trapezoidal platform formed of transverse, trapezoidal boards aligned in side by side formation.
 3. The roadway as set forth in claim 2 comprising: a pair of rails secured to the boards and projecting upwardly from the side edges of each mat platform, to provide curbs; whereby the boards and rails form a coherent structure.
 4. The roadway as set forth in claim 3 comprising: means, located at the ends of each rail, for flexibly linking a mat to an adjacent mat; and straps extending longitudinally along the underside of each mat platform and being secured to its boards to cooperate with the boards and rails to form a coherent structure.
 5. The roadway as set forth in claim 4 wherein: the linking means at the end of each rail comprises a flat plate bolted to the rail, and wherein adjacent plates are bolted together.
 6. The roadway of claim 5 wherein each mat is light enough to be carried by two men.
 7. A rectangular mat for use in constructing a roadway comprising: a flat platform of transverse rectangular boards aligned in side by side formation; rails secured to the platform and extending upwardly along the side edges of the platform, for providing curbs; downwardly projecting, spaced apart straps extending longitudinally of the underside of the platform and secured thereto for reinforcing and supporting the platform and cooperating with the rails and boards to form a coherent structure; and means, secured to the ends of the rails, for flexibly linking one mat end to another in end to end alignment.
 8. A trapezoidal mat for use in constructing a curved section of a roadway comprising: a flat platform of transverse trapezoidal boards aligned in side by side formation; rails secured to the platform and extending upwardly along the side edges of the platform, for providing curbs; downwardly projecting, spaced apart straps extending longitudinally of the underside of the platform and secured thereto for reinforcing and supporting the platform and cooperating with the rails and boards to form a coherent structure; and means, secured to the ends of the rails, for flexibly linking one mat end to another in end to end alignment
 9. A roadway as set forth in claim 2 wherein the boards are wooden.
 10. A roadway as set forth in claim 3 wherein the boards and rails are wooden.
 11. A roadway as set forth in claim 4 wherein the boards, rails and straps are wooden. 